Maggert, storm take control at PODS event

GOLFThe Woodlands resident up by 3 when rains come

Published 6:30 am, Saturday, March 8, 2008

PALM HARBOR, Fla. — The wind was blowing hard enough to sweep sand out of the bunkers and knock down scores Friday at the PODS Championship. Jeff Maggert used it to his advantage.

Starting his second round with the wind at his back, Maggert birdied three of his opening four holes and The Woodlands resident built a three-shot lead at the turn when play was suspended for the rest of the day because of storms.

Maggert was at 8 under par, three shots ahead of Kenny Perry and D.J. Trahan. For the second straight day, none of the late starters came close to finishing the round.

"I've only played 27 holes," Maggert said. "I've got a lot of the tournament in front of me. Even though I have the lead now, I'm not really looking at my position. I'm just trying to play solid and give myself an opportunity to finish off this round with a good score."

About 15 minutes after the siren sounded to stop play, the sky opened and dumped even more rain on the Copperhead course at Innisbrook.

In other news

•
Simpson fires 63
—
Tim Simpson
took the first-round lead in the Toshiba Classic with the best round of his Champions Tour career, a bogey-free, 8-under 63 that left him a shot clear of 2005 winner

Mark Johnson
in Newport Beach, Calif. Simpson, a four-time winner on the PGA Tour whose career has been sidetracked by Lyme disease and a series of injuries and other ailments, is winless in 44 starts in parts of three seasons on the 50-and-over tour.

• Chia, Dougherty share lead — Danny Chia moved into position to become the first Malaysian player to win the Malaysian Open in Kuala Lumpur, shooting a 5-under 67 for a share of the second-round lead with England's Nick Dougherty. Chia and Dougherty (70) had 12-under 132 totals in the event sanctioned by the European and Asian tours.